school lunch

Erica Johnson prays before her meal. She volunteers at the food pantry at John Still school where three of her four children are students. She eats alone after she feeds her kids.

Beyond Free Lunch: Schools Open Food Pantries For Hungry Families

9:33pm January 15, 2015

by Julia Mitric

More than 8 million U.S. children don't get enough to eat. In Sacramento, Calif., one school is helping families cope by sending students home for the weekend with backpacks full of groceries.

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When it comes to salty french fries or pizza served at lunch, schools may get more time to dial back sodium content, thanks to a provision in the federal spending bill headed for a vote on Capitol Hill.

From Potatoes To Salty Fries In School: Congress Tweaks Food Rules

11:00am December 15, 2014

by Allison Aubrey

The giant federal spending bill that's expected to go to a vote Thursday will give schools some flexibility in implementing nutrition standards. Also a winner: the potato lobby.

Gloria Restrepo, a teacher's assistant at Harris Bilingual Elementary School in Fort Collins, Colo., helps students choose their lunch.

To Stop Picky Eaters From Tossing The Broccoli, Give Them Choices

5:11pm September 25, 2014

by Luke Runyon

When healthier school lunch standards went into effect, many worried kids would toss their mandated veggies. But researchers say letting kids pick what they put on their tray can cut down on waste.

First lady Michelle Obama has been doing a lot of high-fiving with schoolchildren like these in Dallas to promote healthful lifestyles. Now she's diving more deeply into the politics of school lunch.

First Lady Fights To Keep Healthful School Lunch Law Intact

9:53am June 10, 2014

by Tamara Keith

Michelle Obama's fight to help kids eat more healthfully and fight obesity is about to get real. She's launching a campaign Tuesday to fight congressional efforts to delay new school food rules.

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Lunch at the West Salem School District in Wisconsin.

Cash Or Credit? How Kids Pay For School Lunch Matters For Health

1:39pm January 17, 2014

by Shankar Vedantam

A study in the journal Obesity found that students who used credit or debit cards in the school cafeteria chose fewer fruits and vegetables and more desserts than kids paying with cash. But the researchers say schools should work with the bias instead of trying to fight it.

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Hannari Tofu is a character who shows up on a range of plush merchandise.

World News

In Japan, Food Can Be Almost Too Cute To Eat

11:49am March 11, 2013

In Japanese culture, how food looks can be as important as how it tastes — a lesson children learn from a very early age. From children's television and toys to school lunches, the visual delights of food are never far from sight.

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Kathy Del Tonto (far right) participates in a class that teaches school cafeteria workers how to prepare meals from scratch.

One Lunch Lady's Cafeteria Conversion

6:02pm December 28, 2012

by Eric Whitney

"If it's not me, who's it going to be?" asks Colorado school cafeteria manager Kathy Del Tonto. After serving processed foods in her cafeterias for years, she realized that reducing childhood obesity can begin with her. She now has the lunch ladies making 95 percent of meals from scratch.

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